Women's Rugby World Cup 2025: A Red Roses Homecoming

The 10th edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off tomorrow (22 August) until the 27 September 2025. The curtain-raiser will be at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, with the grand finale at the iconic Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

This year’s tournament sees an expanded field of 16 teams - up from 12 - competing across eight host cities: London (Twickenham), Bristol, Sunderland, Brighton & Hove, Northampton, Exeter, Manchester (Salford), and York.

Who Won Last Time - and Who’s the Favourite?

• Defending champions: New Zealand’s Black Ferns, who edged England in a thrilling 34-31 victory in the 2021 final (played in 2022).
• Most successful team: New Zealand, with six World Cup titles.
• Favourites in 2025: With home advantage and an unbeaten run since 2022, England’s Red Roses are tipped as favourites, with Canada and New Zealand also strong contenders.

Spotlight on the Red Roses

The Red Roses come into 2025 in formidable form. Since their heartbreak in the 2022 final, they’ve been unbeaten, dominating even the mighty Black Ferns in recent encounters.

Under head coach John Mitchell, the team has rediscovered balance and belief. Captain Zoe Aldcroft leads the squad blending world-class talent with seasoned veterans: Sarah Bern, Marlie Packer, and the evergreen Emily Scarratt, set for her fifth World Cup. Scrum-half Natasha Hunt returns to add experience, while younger stars like Ellie Kildunne and Maud Muir bring flair and grit.

England are not just contenders - they are the team to beat!

Tournament Structure & Group Stage Format

Pools: Four pools (A-D), four teams each. The top two from each pool advance to the quarterfinals.

Knockout rounds: Quarterfinals will be played in Exeter and Bristol, with semi-finals in Bristol. The bronze match and final at Allianz will be a double-header.

Pool Breakdown

• Pool A: England, Australia, USA, Samoa
• Pool B: Canada, Scotland, Wales, Fiji
• Pool C: New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Spain
• Pool D: France, Italy, South Africa, Brazil

Teams

With 16 teams competing, there are definitely some you’ll want to be keeping an eye on throughout the tournament. As it stands (pre-tournament) the current world rankings are as followed:

1: England
2: Canada
3: New Zealand
4: France
5: Ireland
6: Australia
7: Italy
8: Scotland
9: Wales
10: USA

Why This Tournament Matters

The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 carries huge significance, marking the first time since 2010 that England has hosted the tournament. Demand has already reached record-breaking levels, with thousands of tickets sold for the opening game in Sunderland and an unprecedented surge of fan interest across the country.

Beyond the excitement at home, the competition highlights the global growth of the women’s game, with debut appearances from nations such as Brazil adding fresh energy to the tournament.

Alongside this, powerful stories of grassroots determination and diversity - players overcoming challenges to represent their nations on the biggest stage - are helping to shape the event into a true celebration of rugby’s inclusivity and worldwide reach.